TSU Tigers Open 2018 Season with the John Merritt Classic, Bethune-Cookman

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John Merritt ClassicGame 1: Tennessee State (0-0) vs. Bethune-Cookman (0-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Stadium: Nissan Stadium (69,143)
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+
Audio: 102.1 FM
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

Series Information: Tennessee State holds a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series, which began in 1982 and was played for six consecutive years. The Tigers earned victories in the first five meetings before the Wildcats won 16-13 in 1987. The series resumed in 2012 with the Tigers winning 21-14 in Daytona Beach. B-CU would get revenge a year later with a 12-9 decision in the 2013 John Merritt Classic. TSU earned a hard fought 31-24 road victory in the series last contest played in 2016.

Last Meeting:
Tennessee State secured the 31-24 win as Terrell Bonds pulled down a tipped ball by Gabe Scott with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The interception was the second of the game for Bonds. O’Shay Ackerman-Carter connected on a 71-yard touchdown pass to Steven Newbold and finished with 112 yards as he completed three passes in seven attempts before exiting the game with a season-ending injury in the second quarter. Ronald Butler finished the game for the Big Blue completing 8-of-16 for 68 yards and two touchdowns in relief. The Tigers ground attack was the story of the game as they rushed 44 times for 200 yards. Freshman Earl Harrison earned OVC Newcomer of the Week honors for his performance at Bethune-Cookman with 110 yards on 13 carries, including a 46 yard touchdown run. Lane Clark opened the scoring with a 44-yard field goal, beginning a back-and-forth battle which produced a 17-17 at the break. The Tigers took the lead in the third on the first of Butler’s two scoring passes. The senior tossed a jump ball in the corner of the end zone, allowing Chris Sanders-McCollum to out leap a defender for the go ahead score. After the Wildcats evened the score in the first minute of the final stanza, Bonds picked off his first pass leading to the game winning scoring drive, which was capped with a Butler seven-yard scoring toss to Patrick Smith.

Head Coach Rod Reed:
Coach Reed enters his ninth season at the helm of the Tigers with a 49-42 record. Only two coaches have produced more wins at TSU. John Merritt claimed 174 victories in his 20 years (1963-83) for a .806 winning percentage (174-35-7), while Harry Kean spent 10 years in charge of TSU from 1944-54 and compiled a 93-15-3 record (.838). TSU is 7-1 in season openers under Rod Reed, including a 17-10 win at FBS opponent Georgia State in 2017. The lone opening day loss came at the hands of Bethune-Cookman, 12-9, at the John Merritt Classic in 2013. The Tigers are 6-2 under Reed in the John Merritt Classic with the only other loss coming last year, a 19-16 double overtime loss to Eastern Illinois.

Tennessee State:
Tennessee State is coming off its fifth non-losing season in the past six seasons under head coach Rod Reed and hopes to continue the trend as they enter the 2018 season with eight returning starters on offense. The defense ranked seventh in the nation, second in pass defense, under first year defensive coordinator Gary Fisher, but will look to replace seven starters. The Big Blue held opposing teams to 164.5 yards through the air and returns three starters in the backfield. Safeties LaQuarius Cook and sophomore Vincent Sellers are joined by junior cornerback Dajour Nesbeth. Juniors Neiman Armstrong and Shakur Jackson are back to provide depth along with transfers Nick Harper, Jr. and John Robinson IV as they try to replace Terrell Bonds, who had four interceptions a year ago. The defense will also look to fill the spots of departed all-conference performers Chris Collins, Ebo Ogundeko and Jason Morrow. Collins was the team’s field general at middle linebacker and led TSU with 97 tackles, 13.0 for loss. Ogundeko was a two-time All-American performer at defensive end and a three-time All-OVC selection. The offense lost one of the top threats in TSU history with the graduation of Patrick Smith. The wide receiver led the Tigers in receptions (42), receiving yards (648) and touchdowns. Smith also closed out his career with the third most receiving touchdowns in program and OVC history. Coach Reed and offensive coordinator Jeff Parker still posses one of the more dangerous receivers in the conference in Steven Newbold. The offense also enters with experience as they feature their top five rushers from a season ago and three of the top four receivers. The unit looks to regain its 2016 form with the help of four returning linemen. The Tigers hope the return of four of their front-five will produce a foundation to resurgence

Bethune-Cookman:
The Wildcats come into 2018 under fourth-year Head Coach Terry Sims after a 7-4 campaign, including a 6-2 finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Offensively, B-CU returns three starters and will rely on All-MEAC offensive lineman Dwayne Brown to anchor the line. The Wildcats will build a solid running game on its top returning rusher, Tupac Isme, to help produce a deadly passing game behind wide receiver Keavon Mitchell and tight end Ja-Quan Lumas. Mitchell led all receivers with 42 receptions for 457 yards and two touchdowns, while Lumas hauled in 15 passes for 193 yards and two scores. Bethune-Cookman will look to their defense which returns a host of players from 2017. Defensive end Todney Evans leads the charge after recording 34 tackles, 15 solo, 8.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. Kevin Thompson will join Evans in the trenches after missing most of the season a year ago after suffering a season-ending injury. The Wildcats also return kicker Uriel Hernandez who tallied 60 points in 2017, connecting on 12-of-18 field goals and 24-of-26 point-after attempts.

Last Nine Results:
2016 - Tennessee State 31, Bethune-Cookman 24
2013 - Bethune-Cookman 12, Tennessee State 9
2012 - Tennessee State 21, Bethune-Cookman 14
1987 - Bethune-Cookman 16, Tennessee State 13
1986 - Tennessee State 13, Bethune-Cookman 10
1985 - Tennessee State 24, Bethune-Cookman 17
1984 - Tennessee State 41, Bethune-Cookman 8
1983 - Tennessee State 21, Bethune-Cookman 19
1982 - Tennessee State 41, Bethune-Cookman 11

TV: ESPN+. Howard Gentry, Jr. will serve as play-by-play along with Derek Fleming who will provide analysis.

Radio: 102.1 FM will carry the game live with Greg Pogue (play-by-play), Albert Dawson (analyst), Craig Ladd (Scoreboard) and Gary Dawson (sideline). Pregame will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Quotes:
Head Coach Rod Reed- On opening the season
“It’s been a really tough camp. Our guys are chomping at the bit to play someone else. Bethune-Cookman is a team that we’re very familiar with. We’ve played them a couple of times the last six or seven years. We’re really excited about the opportunity to go out there and see another color helmet on the field.”

- On the starting quarterback
“We’ve had a really, really tough quarterback battle. Micheal Hughes and Demry Croft have done a really good job. Right now, we’re not prepared to name a starter, but I think it’s safe to say that you’ll see both kids on Saturday.”

- On Steven Newbold
“I don’t particularly like bulletin board material, which he gave every team in the conference, but that’s just who Steven is. I don’t think he really meant anything too derogatory toward it. That’s just the confidence that he has in his ability. If you know like I know, you know he needs the ball more in his hands. I think we have a couple capable guys of getting him the football.”

- On playing in the John Merritt Classic
“It’s going to be great to go out there in front of our fans in the John Merritt Classic in Nissan Stadium. It’s always a tremendous atmosphere. There’ll be a bunch of people in the stands. The band will be rocking, but more than that, it gives us an opportunity to get on the grass against a different opponent that we haven’t seen in a couple years. Any time that you play in the John Merritt Classic, there’s a lot of pride involved just because of who it’s named after – the legendary John Merritt.”

Bethune-Cookman Head Coach Terry Sims
- On the offseason
“Our offseason was great. We had the opportunity to get some guys in, some transfers, and get them involved in our program and get them up to speed on how we do things. It’s been great so far.”

- On facing TSU
“Coach Reed and his staff do a great job at Tennessee State. Every time we play those guys it’s a hard-fought football game. You have two great football staffs and you have a lot of talented football players on both sides. It’s going to be a great game. We know it’s going to be a slugfest. We’re counting on that, and we’re prepared for it.”

- On Steven Newbold and Micheal Hughes
“Two very talented young men. You watch them on film and you see that they both have very, very special skill sets. They both can be explosive. (Steven) Newbold is a young man that you definitely want to know where he is at all times. He’s a very explosive player and can do some special things with the ball in his hands. I know they have a little bit of a quarterback battle going on, but we’re going to prepare for the guys that we’ve seen on film and move from there. We definitely see two very talented athletes when we watch them on film, and we have to account for them on every down.”

- On BCU’s quarterback play
“Any time you lose a talent like Larry Brihm, it’s going to leave a void. Larry has been a mainstay around this program for a while and he did a great job for us. We have Akevious Williams coming back who backed Larry up last year. We also have Jabari Dunham, who is back. We have a transfer that came in from West Virginia in David Israel. They’re battling every day to see who the guy will be that will run out. One thing we know is we’ve had success with a two quarterback system. We’ve had success with a three quarterback system. We’re going to do whatever it takes for us to win football games."

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